So many were so critical of this book, but I found its description of life at the modern elite academic institution to be spot on. Charlotte Simmons gSo many were so critical of this book, but I found its description of life at the modern elite academic institution to be spot on. Charlotte Simmons goes from her unique backwater hometown to prestigious Dupont University, a school with a nice academic reputation and an even better basketball team. At Dupont, sex, alcohol, basketball, cheating, and social status rule the day. Charlotte meets some dolts, like the predictably doofus fraternity man, but it all works out in the end....more

Story of famous author Pat Conroy and his time as a PG on the Citadel basketball team in the 1960s. Interesting and quick read about basketball, the CStory of famous author Pat Conroy and his time as a PG on the Citadel basketball team in the 1960s. Interesting and quick read about basketball, the Citadel, and growing as a man....more

Terrific book about life for the players in the Patriot League Conference during the 1999-2000 season. Book points out how very different college athlTerrific book about life for the players in the Patriot League Conference during the 1999-2000 season. Book points out how very different college athletics are for these true student-athletes....more

Story from All-American Indiana guard, Steve Alford, about his years playing for the always interesting Coach Bobby Knight. Highs and lows are recountStory from All-American Indiana guard, Steve Alford, about his years playing for the always interesting Coach Bobby Knight. Highs and lows are recounted from Indiana failing to make the NCAA Tournament to the 1984 Olympic Team to the Hoosiers winning the national title. Learned from this book that Coach Knight is certainly an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in a mystery....more

Story of the dark underside in the world of big-time college basketball. While the NCAA can outlaw some things, they can't possibly fathom all of theStory of the dark underside in the world of big-time college basketball. While the NCAA can outlaw some things, they can't possibly fathom all of the alternative methods by which improprieties occur. Very dated, but still very relevant....more

On 12/9/77 in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, an altercation began Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert, as was quite coOn 12/9/77 in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, an altercation began Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert, as was quite common during that era. While running in the direction of the altercation, Rudy Tomjanovich was struck with a punch by Kermit Washington. This punch was so forceful that Tomjanovich later said that it felt like the scoreboard had fallen on him. Indeed, Tomjanovich was nearly killed. This book is about those few seconds, but it is really about much more. Indeed, this book is a biography of Washington and Tomjanovich and recounts how the event impacted their respective lives.

Kermit Washington is a good, honorable and decent man, of that I have no doubt. Although I completely concur that he did not willfully intend to harm Tomjanovich or willfully indeed for the punch to do so much damage, the simple fact of the matter is that he put these events in motion. Despite all the good things he has done in his life, Kermit Washington has never accepted responsibility for these events. (You get the feeling that he is not fully aware of the principle of causation in torts.) Blaming Kevin Kunnert for the entire event, alleging a conspiracy on behalf of the NBA, Kermit has done all of these in more. Although he is indeed a sympathetic figure, I think Mr. Washington’s fortuntes would improve if he did as Calvin Murphy has suggested and simply said “I’m sorry” and dropped the “but” portion from his apology. ...more

I have read more than a few John Feinstein books, and I do not think that he is ever better than when he is writing about college basketball. This booI have read more than a few John Feinstein books, and I do not think that he is ever better than when he is writing about college basketball. This book follows the ups and down of the nine (before the conference was forever tainted by the inclusion of BC, Miami, and Va Tech) member institutions of the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 1996-1997 season.

The 96/97 season was truly memorable, especially with the competitiveness of the ACC. In a lot of ways, 96/97 was one of the last really great years of the conference with so many great and very good teams throughout the conference. I think the conference is a bit top heavy now with Duke and NC at the top and the rest of the league usually a bit far behind. In 96/97, at the top of the conference you had UNC with Dean Smith making one last run at the Final Four, Duke becoming the Duke we would all grow to hate with jump shooting specialists like Steve Wojo and Trajan Langdon and even more annoying people like Greg Newton, Wake Forest with Tim Duncan, Clemson with Buckner and McIntyre and coached by Rick Barnes, and Maryland, starting to come into their own with Gary Williams coaching folks like Laron Profit and Keith Booth. Even the average teams in the conference, like Virginia and Florida State seemed a lot better during that season. Indeed, the depth of quality teams in the league during that season, has really not been surpassed since that period.

What I appreciated the most about the book was the stroll down memory lane. So many memorable players and coaches like Ricky Peral of Wake Forest, Jeremy Hyatt of NC State, Serge Zwicker of UNC, and Kerry Thompson of Florida State have really been forgotten until I read this book. Locally, although I had fully converted to my alma mater (who would soon sign an up and coming coach in Billy Donovan after this season) during that period, 96/97 should be remembered as the last year of the Pat Kennedy era. (Well overshadowed by Dean Smith’s retirement that same year). Kennedy always had his teams prepared and it is interesting to note that FSU has only been in the NCAA Tourney once (the very next year) since Pat Kennedy left. He brought talent to the school and in all honesty, even though basketball was always an afterthought, Kennedy brought the program to heights it had not previously been at, it is a bit sad he is not recognized locally for his coaching ability.

At times, the book is a bit too much of a love fest to Coach K, but that is understandable considering where Feinstein went to school. I really appreciated all of the mini-biographies of the coaches; however, I thought the section of the book detailing the NCAA Tourney felt a bit rushed, especially after the shot by shot account of various early season games like Duke vs. Indiana in the NIT and Wake Forest and Virginia going through the usual early fare of non-conference cupcakes. A nice break for me in the eun of classic novels I have been reading lately....more

Definitely not your older brother’s book written by a current player describing life inside the NBA. Usually those books are pretty boring because theDefinitely not your older brother’s book written by a current player describing life inside the NBA. Usually those books are pretty boring because the players are loathe to criticize other members of the fraternity. Paul Shirley is not afraid to rub some people the wrong way and that makes this book a much better read.

One of the things that makes the NBA difficult for the average fan to watch is that there does not seem to be a lot of intensity during the average regular season matchup. I read an NY Times Magazine article once that accuratley noted that the average game is almost of secondary importance because just by being in the NBA, the average player has "made it." What is interesting about this book is that you never really get the feeling that Paul Shirley feel like he has "made it," although he is a remarkably talented basketball player, he is always on the cusp of no longer being able to keep getting paid to do this whole basketball thing.

Shirley was an important member of good Iowa State teams that featured Jamaal Tinsley and Marcus Fizer. Big man with a good shooting touch, Shirley is a marginal NBA player who is still nonetheless living the dream of getting paid to play professional basketball. As others have described, his humor is rather sardonic and he is quite self-deprecating, but the book is quite amusing.

Some interesting aspects that I enjoyed about the book include the fact that Shawn Marion wishes he could invent something so that he could become really rich, the Chicago Bulls circa Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry had very poor chemistry, the kiss cam really is the greatest timeout distraction ever, basketball in Europe is the real deal, and the role of “religion” in the league cannot be understated. Nice fun little read.

After finishing Paul Shirley’s memoir “Can I Keep My Jersey” in which he details his life bouncing around the NBA, ABA and Europe playing basketball,After finishing Paul Shirley’s memoir “Can I Keep My Jersey” in which he details his life bouncing around the NBA, ABA and Europe playing basketball, I was interested in reading more about the Phoenix Suns. Shirley was on the bench of the Suns during the 2004-2005 season and described a team that was playing basketball the “right way” and scoring tons of points en route to the Western Conference Finals.

This book chronicles the 2005-2006 Phoenix Suns season that also ended in the Western Conference Finals. Everyone knows that Phoenix is a team that is very likeable. They play basketball in a manner that does not make me want to claw my eyes out (like watching most NBA teams does). Led by league MVP Steve Nash, the Suns overcame injury to Amare Stoudemire and still managed to have a wildly successful season. The book title is an homage to the Suns offensive philosophy of desiring a shot every seven seconds or less – transition basketball at its finest.

Nash, Barbosa, Diaw, Marion, Bell, etc. all orchestrated by Coach Mike D’Antoni, the Phoenix Suns were fun to watch. I use the past tense because it is my humble opinion that the Suns described here are no longer. Mike D’Antoni has since been replaced by Terry Porter and Robert Sarver (not my favorite guy in the world) has basically pushed the Colangelo’s (at least Bryan) out the door for the affable, though not yet as successful, Steve Kerr. Shawn Marion always felt like the third banana is Phoenix and he was traded during the 2007-2008 season to Miami (where he can again be the third banana behind Wade and Beasley) for Shaquille O’Neal. Obviously, the Suns never accomplished the ultimate goal of winning a NBA Championship, but I think all of us fans that really had no team (I guess I kind of unenthusiastically root for the Magic) enjoyed pulling for the Suns. (I especially pulled for them against the evil Lakers and Mavericks in the season described in this book.) Sadly, it seems that the Suns and the philosophy described here is no longer.

Loved some of the stories here like, "The Loser," recounting Floyd Patterson and his interaction with bullies at his daughter's school, Liston, and noLoved some of the stories here like, "The Loser," recounting Floyd Patterson and his interaction with bullies at his daughter's school, Liston, and not looking opponents in the eye. Also loved "Joe Louis: The King as a Middle Aged Man," and of course, "Silent Season of a Hero," with DiMaggio in all of his quintessential American male splendor and greatness. Other stories were less memorable, but well worth the time....more

I know the feeling, sports fandom sometimes you don't get to choose, it chooses you. And even when you get to choose, it breaks your heart. Breaks youI know the feeling, sports fandom sometimes you don't get to choose, it chooses you. And even when you get to choose, it breaks your heart. Breaks your heart in ways that make you so cynical and hard. Sometimes fandom and the hurt it causes ages me more than all my other vices. That theme was explored perfectly in this book.

But, I hate it when some people from some places like to preach that their hurt is somehow more worthy of celebrating than that of others. People in Cleveland sure did spend a lot of time convincing us that a superstar signing in Miami for four years was a terrible thing. We work hard here in the Sunshine State, too.

Glad he came back and brought you your precious title, hope you enjoy it. Real fans though know the wins never make you feel as good as the losses simply break you....more

Always so much in these collections from obscure (to USA sports fans) areas of the sports works like running and cricket. But a worthy collection of sAlways so much in these collections from obscure (to USA sports fans) areas of the sports works like running and cricket. But a worthy collection of stories. Football concussions, sports stars running through money, etc....more

**spoiler alert** Part of the tradition of very well done economics books which explain the world. This one through the conceit of big data searches.

W**spoiler alert** Part of the tradition of very well done economics books which explain the world. This one through the conceit of big data searches.

What did we learn from the book:- People love incest porn, including women.- When people lose a job, they search for a lot of porn.- Horses spleen size and left ventricle is way more important than their peedigree.- The fact that a model works, people buy strawberry pop tarts in hurricanes, is more important than why it works.- Women hedging language like kinda/sorta are probably not into you. - People smiling in pics is generally a function of good Kodak marketing.- People lie in polls a lot.- There are an awful lot of closeted gay men in intolerant states.- A lot more explicit racism than implicit bias.- A lot of bias against girls, too.- The internet is not nearly as segregated as you think.- Business' know don't trust what people tell you, trust what they do.- Your fave team at 8 really imprints. For politics it's 14-24.- Economic mobility is pretty piss poor in the USA.- People are way more likely to cheat on taxes id they live near others that do so.- If people tell you they will pay you back, they won't. Especially if they write they will do so.- Big data has real limitations.- The Judy Garland thing abut gay men really is true.- Leonard Cohen was right about women, "Listen well. Then listen some more. And when you thing you are done listening, listen some more.- People rarely finish economics books, but I did!...more